About Us

OCOC operates statewide in Florida and is a private, non-profit, faith-based organization that provides adoption related services and works in partnership with the Florida Department of Children and Families and churches. One Church One Child also collaborates with the Community Based Care Lead Agencies and their provider agencies in recruiting and referring families interested in adopting children from Florida's Foster Care System. As an adoption program, One Church, One Child was initially implemented March 1988 to assist the Florida Department of Children and Families. The program has a proven track record and has been instrumental in finding adoptive and foster homes for children, providing awareness, support and training to families, community agencies and organizations over these past years. In accordance with the legislative mandated privatization of child welfare service, One Church, One Child now operates as an independent 501© 3 non-profit service provider.

One Church, One Child recruits families for all children in foster care. The basic philosophy of the statewide program is to "Find at least one family per church to adopt at least one child". One Church, One Child is an inclusive adoption program working with families across all racial and denominational lines.

In 1990, the Florida Legislature passed the One Church, One Child Corporation Act s.409.1755, F.S. This action placed the One Church, One Child (OCOC) program in statute and mandated that a Board of Directors be appointed by the Governor. Board members receive no compensation, but are entitled to receive per diem and travel provided in s.112.061. The 31-board members include two pastors of local churches from each of the Department of Children and Families districts with four members from the region and one member selected at-large.

In addition to the state board members, districts typically have local advisory committees that are part of the grass roots process. The state board members recruit local pastors, ministers, lay members, and other community leaders to serve on the local advisory committee. Normally, the state board members serve as chair and vice-chair or co-chairs of the local advisory committee. The active advisory committees accord leadership in the local communities and support the OCOC staff in providing child welfare service in accordance with 409.1755, F.S.

In response to legislative mandated privatization of services, One Church, One Child, a 501(c)3 non-profit, faith-based corporation operates external to DCF as an independent provider of services such as: Recruitment of adoptive families; provision of adoption services including provision of retention activities to support adoptive families before, during and after placement; assistance with generation of community resources and support of children in care and families in the local districts; and provision of technical assistance to adoption and foster care staff regarding cultural issues. While the focus of One Church, One Child primarily is adoption, related service activities include recruitment of foster families and retention activities to support foster families.